Hill: Family photos make a comeback, and a columnist feels shame

By Angela Hill

Oakland Tribune

Posted:
08/02/2013 03:00:00 PM PDT

Last month, I wrote about helping a relative sort through her bins of old family photos and occasionally, sometimes, once in a while, maybe, considering throwing a couple of them out -- ones with unidentified people or places, maybe an unknown dog or a shot of a car in front of a nondescript building.

Clearly this was a mistake. Not throwing them out, per se, but writing about it.

Indeed, in the ensuing weeks I have been scolded for these streamlining efforts by very nice genealogists and historians everywhere -- gently and graciously scolded, mind you, as one would imagine very nice genealogists and historians might do.

Genealogists and historians gently chide and offer new homes for old photographs. (Don Coker/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

Well, except for one woman (probably not of the aforementioned professions) who wrote in, practically shouting at me over the email, saying, "What you did was the height of laziness!" Hey, I think it's impressive I've at least reached the height of something!

But everyone else was super nice, offering empathy about piles of family pics and providing some really great suggestions about what to do with them, even the unidentified shots, citing the potential historical value of things that might appear in the background behind a nameless woman with a massive hat that looks like a floral UFO.

In my defense, I seriously doubt the few we tossed that day had any images of Bigfoot skulking in the woods or the second shooter on the grassy knoll or even a UFO in the background, unless it was on top of some woman's head.

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But I greatly appreciate the suggestions, and, for you folks out there who are struggling with what to do with your own personal photographic Everests, here are some of the helpful comments:

"Old photos are more than just personal memories ... they can be used to document the era and area in which they were taken," wrote Priscilla Couden, director of the Contra Costa County Historical Society. She suggested people donate photo collections to the society's history center in Martinez, an archive of photographs, maps, court documents and other family and business documents that date from the 1850s to modern times.

"There are some 22 local historical societies in Contra Costa County alone," she said, "most of which got their start with the donation of materials from a garage such as yours."

An anonymous writer sent in these thoughts:

"A costume designer for a historical film could find the clothing worn by the people in your old photos a treasure trove of historically authentic inspiration. Someone working to restore a period home would find interior photographs invaluable in helping to recreate the furniture and furnishings of a vanished era. A writer, poet, sculptor or painter might find inspiration for a character in the eyes or expressions of the people in your photographs."

Gordon Imrie of Richmond runs www.privatebiographer.com, which helps people organize and preserve photos, documents and mementos by digitizing fading images and even offering "storymaking" services.

Sheila Rogstad, archivist at the Walnut Creek Historical Society, wrote of someone from Children's Hospital Oakland donating a batch of 1900 photos. "Thankfully some were named and I was able to check on the genealogy of the family and send them to a Kansas town where the family lived," Rogstad wrote. Another batch of photos included paperwork from 1836 listing all family members and relations. "Listed also were slaves and to whom they belonged and a total of $2,000 owed to them. This batch was sent to the Virginia Historical Society where the family had lived since the early 1600s, and the slave list added to a project documenting slaves. A win-win all around!"

"Oh, my poor family trees are shaking their leaves and moaning for the lost information of those photos in your article," one reader wrote. "We genealogists always hope that the information in whatever form is never thrown out.

"Remember, if it wasn't for your family you would not be the person you are," she continued. "They have a story to tell if only someone would listen."